The top photograph was found at http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/photos.html
The middle photograph was found at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/387041/Model-T The bottom photograph was found at http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html
Context: In the early 20th century experimentation to improve transportation technology beyond the use of beasts of burden, such as horse-drawn carriages, was occurring in countries such as the United States and Great Britain. Automobiles, which were thought to be the solution to air and street pollution caused by horse manure and carcasses, were expensive and only owned by a select few. It was not until Henry Ford Motor Company produced the versatile and affordable Motor T in 1908 that automobiles became popularly consumed by Americans, especially among the middle class. Since 1910 the Model T’s production method involving interchangeable parts and assembly lines was also revolutionary because it allowed one car to be produced every 93 minutes at a lower cost.
The context of Ford’s Model T was the Progressive Movement, a time of social and political reform movements in the United States between the 1890s and 1920s. Progressives focused on improving American society by fixing the corrupt government, society’s morals, as well as using science and technology to modernize. With the desire to modernize the United States, inventors and business persons like Henry Ford would be interested in improving transportation beyond animals and discovering more efficient production methods that would increase output to meet demands, such as the assembly line.
Immediate Impact: Ford’s innovation filled American demands for a more affordable automobile that could appeal to both urban and rural consumers. The Model T was stylish enough to fulfill urban recreational purposes, with its available colors until 1914 being grey, green, red, and black, and with its numerous body styles. After 1914 to save on production costs the Model T was only produced in black. Also, since there were few paved roads in the United States in the early 20th century the Model T was built to handle various terrains, allowing it to be used in rural areas for transportation or as a tractor. The affordable, multipurpose Model T became a global consumer good, with half of the world’s cars being the Model T by the 1920s. Besides the car itself the production process used in making Ford’s Model T became a standard for other car production companies as well as other goods. The use of an assembly line, along with interchangeable parts allowed production to increase output at lower costs, allowing the product to be sold at a cheaper price.
While the Model T was a popular until the 1920s, its limits caused some inventors to improve the automobile. In 1910 Charles Kettering of the Cadillac Motor Company solved the issue of the hand crank by creating the electric self-starter, thereby making it easier for drivers to start their car. To solve the issue of appearances, in the 1920s Alfred P. Sloan came up with the idea of having one automobile company produce multiple types of vehicles using shared parts, allowing production costs to lower.
Long-Term Consequences: While the Model T was not the first automobile it did spark the American, as well as international adoption of automobiles as a modern form of transportation. As more automobile companies developed to improve on the appearance and mechanisms of automobiles so too did the need for roads to be paved. The adoption of automobiles changed the landscape with the creation of paved roads and the unexpected air pollution. However, with the popularity of cars grew an entire technological system to support the automobile, such as car garages with mechanics, shops selling car parts, and car dealerships.
Bibliography
“Automobile.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile (accessed April 4, 2014).
Brooke, Lindsay. “Mr. Ford’s Model T: Versatile Mobility.” New York Times, July 20, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com.prozy.palomar.edu/2008/07/20/automobiles/collectibles/20FORD.html?_r=0 (accessed March 28, 2014).
History.com Staff. “Model T.” History.com. 2010. http://www.history.com/topics/model-t (accessed April 4, 2014).
“Model T (automobile).” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/387041/Model-T (accessed March 28, 2014).
Rasenberger, Jim. 2008. “1908.” Smithsonian 38, no. 10: 42. MAS Ultra – School Edition, EBSCOhost. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csusm.edu/ehost/detail?vid=6&sid=0e27cae4-d868-4e73-94c9-6820ca852c29%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d (accessed March 29, 2014).
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